I’m always asked for the reference that highlights the shear number of people clicking on natural search results vs. paid, so here’s a great article that also references how much people spend on PPC…often without doing any SEO work.

I’ve followed Clay Shirky for awhile now (he’s the author of Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations), and it was great to hear him speak at PopTech.

He admitted that he hasn’t found the magic formula for explaining the growth & activity in social media sites to “old school” organizations. I find myself in that role again and again, and while I’m getting better at changing mindsets, I haven’t found the magic formula either.

His top level elements of a social community design that will encourage charity?
1. Designing for intrinsic motivation (letting members be recognized for things they are good at doing, make them feel like they are doing the right thing, ensure that their efforts are appreciated).
2. Make sure members have autonomy
3. Make sure to strike a balance between a community that is too open or too closed/regulated – neither extremes will be successful.

I think they are great qualities to keep in mind when trying to encourage use of a new social network. Now I just need to quantify the tactics required for educating an old school organization on why and how to get involved in social media. If I figure out how to educate them so that they “get” it on a gut level, I’ll let you know.

I’m excited to announce that I will be providing a training about how local non-profits can register on Local Search and use social media to promote their missions and get volunteers.

The training is being organized by the Alexandria Volunteer Bureau and will be held at the Northern Virginia Community College on November 5th. You can register for the training by sending contacting Jennifer Styles at jstyles@alexandriavolunteerbureau.org or 703-836-2176.

Oh…I can’t wait, and Pop!Tech has posted an intro video about Pop!Tech to get me excited about this year’s conference. I can’t wait to get re-inspired and get my passion for social change and the potential for for technology re-charged.